The Chesapeake Jumbo Lump Crab Cake at Becca, inside The Cavalier, is a large, delicately seasoned offering cooked golden brown and served with an offering of roasted cauliflower caponata, as well as tender olive-oil sautéed field spinach with roasted garlic.

Signature Broiled Lump Crab Cakes from Blue Seafood & Spirits features two of Executive Chef Charles Thain’s offerings that he has perfected over decades of cooking seafood. The dish comes with a selection of chef’s vegetables and a choice of starch - I chose a baked sweet potato.

The Crab Cake Sandwich at Catch 31 is full of lump crab and a good amount of seasoning, according to columnist Patrick Evans-Hylton. It is served on a brioche bun with tartar sauce, shredded lettuce, and tomato. Fries are served on the side.

Le Crabe is an elegant offering from Executive Chef Daniel Abid at Le Yaca. Two large golden orbs are packed with lump crab an drizzled in a shallot beurre blanc sauce. A delightful fresh green salad comes on the side, tossed in a traditional Dijon vinaigrette with the addition of grape halves.

The Grilled Atlantic Seafood Platter at Margie & Ray’s comes with many delicious options, including their crab cake. Delightfully Old School, it is full of lump crab and a nice balance of seasoning. The platter comes with two sides, as well as hushpuppies. I selected a baked potato and broccoli with hollandaise sauce and enjoyed both very much.

Breakfast is served all day at Simple Eats, including the Crabby Bennie. Atop a split croissant are poached eggs, crab cakes, avocado, spinach, tomato, and hollandaise sauce. The grilled crab cakes, full of lump crab, some light seasonings, and little else. Home fries come on the side.

At Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro the crab cakes are full of lump crab meat with some nice seasoning happening; subtle, but noticeable, with a bit of heat. They are nicely presented with a serving of cajun-spiced fingerling potato hash, topped with a pepper and spinach saute.

Crab cakes at Surf Rider at Marina Shores are full of lump crabmeat and exceptional. The Old School elements of a boardwalk offering marry with a more sophisticated restaurant style that makes each and every forkful a delight. The platter comes with a choice of two vegetables or steamed broccoli; I chose the latter.

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The Chesapeake Jumbo Lump Crab Cake at Becca, inside The Cavalier, is a large, delicately seasoned offering cooked golden brown and served with an offering of roasted cauliflower caponata, as well as tender olive-oil sautéed field spinach with roasted garlic.

A decade-or-so ago, I was at a Virginia Beach restaurant and the chef walked over to my table, grinning from ear-to-ear, and presented me with a beautifully presented plate. On the plate, were two large orbs, golden brown on the outside, accented with a drizzle of remoulade and a smattering of microgreens.

“Here,” he said, “are the best crab cakes.”

“Really?” I asked, not to be rude, but wondering if there was merit to it, other than the fact that he had prepared them to his liking. I sampled the dish – grandiose circles filled mostly with jumbo lump crabmeat and little filler – and enjoyed them. But were they the best? I still can’t say to this day.

In Virginia Beach, and, indeed the whole region, crab cakes are a hotly-contested foodstuff. Many folks like fillers and binders, others just want crabmeat and nothing else. Some favor fried, while others like broiled. The list of particulars goes on and on.

Ever since that crabby encounter with the chef, I have made it a point to try crab cakes most places I go; even if I order another entrée, I often try to get an appetizer with crab cakes or a crab cake on the side in my never-ending quest for the best.

It isn’t an easy task, because sometimes I am in the mood for a crab cake more in the Old School – or boardwalk – fashion, chock-full of crab, but also of cracker, pressed down into a patty and griddled golden on each side. Other times, I look for more of a modern – or restaurant – take, like I had at the eatery that started my crustacean campaign.

So just what is a crab cake? My definition is a formation of crab and, usually, a binding ingredient such as egg or mayonnaise; filler such as bread crumbs or crushed crackers; and seasoning such as black pepper or Old Bay; into patties and then fried, broiled or sautéed and served as an entrée or on bread as a sandwich.

The crab meat inside varies, but is typically one of three varieties:

Claw meat – meat from crab claws, usually dark and rich; often used in soups, stews and crab cakes.

Backfin – large pieces of white meat from the backfin cavity, smaller than jumbo lump; often used in crab cakes, sautéed crab, crab cakes, salads and garnishes.

Jumbo lump – large nuggets of meat from the body cavity; often used in sautéed crab, crab cakes, salads and garnishes. Smaller, but still whole nuggets, are called lump.

During the past 20-plus years that I have been writing about food, I have, by estimation, eaten more than 1,000 different crab cakes. I’ve used my training at culinary school to analyze each bite. I’ve taken notes. I’ve taken photos. I’ve talked to the chefs who prepared them, prodding for any trade secrets. And I am still no closer to telling you who has the absolute best crab cake of them all.

But I can tell you a few of my favorites, or at least favorites of the moment, since this is one delicious journey that, thankfully, is without end. Here’s what I am eating now:

Chesapeake Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Becca

The dish: Chesapeake Jumbo Lump Crab Cake

The restaurant: Becca, inside the Cavalier

The details: Having a meal at Becca, the fine-dining restaurant inside the newly restored Cavalier, is a true experience. The comfortable dining room echoes from dinners past throughout its 90-plus year history as well as contemporary music. Service is prompt and professional, and the food from Executive Chef Dan Elinan and his staff top notch. Make reservations on busy weekends.

The Chesapeake Jumbo Lump Crab Cake is plated with one large restaurant-style crab cake, delicately seasoned and full of lump crabmeat. The cake is perfectly formed, and perfectly cooked too; it holds together firmly together, and delicately breaks apart into large nuggets of crab. The interior is moist and sweet, and the exterior perfectly seared golden.

The dish is served with a crispy caper remoulade sauce that I opted have served on the side.

Along with the crab cake comes an offering of roasted cauliflower caponata, smartly using the cruciferous vegetable rather than the traditional eggplant. Pine nuts, raisins and olives complete the side. Also served is wonderfully tender olive-oil sautéed field spinach with roasted garlic.

The drink: A glass of Duckhorn Vineyards 2017 Migration Chardonnay from Russian River Valley, Calif., is a treat paired with the crab cakes.

Signature Broiled Lump Crab Cakes, Blue Seafood & Spirits

Signature Broiled Lump Crab Cakes from Blue Seafood & Spirits features two of Executive Chef Charles Thain’s offerings that he has perfected over decades of cooking seafood. The dish comes with a selection of chef’s vegetables and a choice of starch - I chose a baked sweet potato.

Patrick Evans-Hylton | For The Virginian-Pilot

The dish: Signature Broiled Lump Crab Cakes

The restaurant: Blue Seafood & Spirits

The details: We have been a fan of Charles Thain’s simple but sublime approach to seafood since he and his wife, Shannon, ran the Eastville Inn on the Eastern Shore more than a decade ago. Fortune smiled on Virginia Beach when they opened Blue Seafood & Spirits in the Red Mill area of the city. The restaurant is casual and inviting with excellent service.

Of note: this place fills up quickly when it opens at 4 p.m., and reservations are not accepted.

Crab cakes pop up on a number of dishes here, but to get the most crab for the buck, we went with the Signature Broiled Lump Crab Cakes plate.

Thain has been cooking crab cakes for decades, a style he’s perfected over time. There’s a wonderful balance with lump crabmeat – handpicked on the Eastern Shore – and a filler of saltine crackers. The cracker not only binds the cakes but also provides texture and seasoning. Duke’s mayonnaise and a light hand of seasonings round things out.

The dish comes with a selection of chef’s vegetables and a choice of starch; I opted for a baked sweet potato. Also served are delicate sweet potato biscuits and a rich butter to slather on top.

The drink: One of the more delicious – and unusual – drinks we’ve had was crafted by bartender Reed Berry, the Hibiscus Martini. A nice balance of hibiscus-infused vodka, peach schnapps and St. Germaine elderberry liqueur come together in a martini glass with a hibiscus flower nested in the bottom. It’s lovely with seafood.

Crab Cake Sandwich, Catch 31 Fish House and Bar,

The Crab Cake Sandwich at Catch 31 is full of lump crab and a good amount of seasoning, according to columnist Patrick Evans-Hylton. It is served on a brioche bun with tartar sauce, shredded lettuce, and tomato. Fries are served on the side.

Patrick Evans-Hylton | For The Virginian-Pilot

The dish: Crab Cake Sandwich

The restaurant: Catch 31 Fish House and Bar

The details: It was a perfect afternoon when I met my friend Harriet for lunch at the Oceanfront. Wanting to enjoy the sun, surf and sand, we picked Catch 31 at the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront, and settled into a table outdoors.

Under the covered veranda, with potted palms gently swaying back and forth and a ceiling fan quietly swirling overhead, we had a great visit, a great meal, and great service.

From Executive Chef Kyle Woodruff’s kitchen comes the simply named Crab Cake Sandwich. But this tried-and-true formula of the cake, which I’ve enjoyed for years, is deceptively simple.

Full of lump crab and a good amount of seasoning, the sandwich burst with flavor. There is the sweetness from the crab, but just a tad of heat and a bit of herbaceousness.

The crab cake is nestled in a soft, toasted brioche bun atop tangy tartar sauce, shredded lettuce, and sliced tomato. Together, they all formed a delicious bite of varying tastes and textures. A side of crisp, lightly salted fries comes with the order.

Le Crabe, Le Yaca

Le Crabe is an elegant offering from Executive Chef Daniel Abid at Le Yaca. Two large golden orbs are packed with lump crab an drizzled in a shallot beurre blanc sauce. A delightful fresh green salad comes on the side, tossed in a traditional Dijon vinaigrette with the addition of grape halves.

Patrick Evans-Hylton | For The Virginian-Pilot

The dish: Le Crabe

The restaurant: Le Crabe

The details: The French restaurant Le Yaca is full of delights. You would expect some, such as a starter of escargot or foie gras, or an entree of seared duck or steak au poivre, but you may not perhaps expect to find crab cakes. Some of the most elegant offerings I’ve ever had, I should not be surprised to find them on the bill of fare from Executive Chef Daniel Abid. He and his whole crew – front and back of the house – do elegance with perfect aplomb.

Settled in the chic, understated dining room, we received exceptional service from our waiter, Austin Moschler.

A choice of salad or soup comes with the dinner, and while I love the country-style version of French onion soup from the restaurant, the warm weather invited me to start with a salad. The salade verte is Le Yaca’s house salad, and it is a beautiful, fresh plate of tender butter lettuce gently tossed in a traditional Dijon vinaigrette with the addition of grape halves.

My palate primed, the entree came; and I was rewarded with two large, baked orbs bursting with jumbo lump crab, a tempered amount of seasoning, and a drizzle of wonderful sauce on top.

The presentation alone was stunning, but the flavor backed it up. One cake rested atop a potato galette, the other on a bed of sautéed spinach. A lovely shallot beurre blanc sauce was added atop, along with a garnish of grapefruit supreme and radish coins on one and microgreens on the other.

Also, a happy first anniversary to Le Yaca. Their original Williamsburg eatery opened in 1980; the Virginia Beach location opened in June 2017.

The drink: Manager Cecile Abid offers wine suggestions that are always spot on. At a recent dinner, she poured for me a crisp, lovely 2016 Chateau Lafont Meant Pessac-Leognan white Bordeaux that was gorgeous with the sweetness of the crab.

Grilled Atlantic Seafood Platter, Margie & Ray’s

The Grilled Atlantic Seafood Platter at Margie & Ray’s comes with many delicious options, including their crab cake. Delightfully Old School, it is full of lump crab and a nice balance of seasoning. The platter comes with two sides, as well as hushpuppies. I selected a baked potato and broccoli with hollandaise sauce and enjoyed both very much.

Patrick Evans-Hylton | For The Virginian-Pilot

The dish: Grilled Atlantic Seafood Platter

The restaurant: Margie & Ray’s

The details: I’ve long loved Margie & Ray’s, an old-school family seafood restaurant on the way to Sandbridge. Serving simple, no-nonsense food for more than two decades, you can count on dishes done right without any fuss, good service, and great people watching considering the mix of locals and tourists alike. Service definitely comes with a smile.

The focus here is on seafood, and there are more than a dozen dinners, along with raw bar offerings. Augmenting the menu are selections including barbecue, chicken, pasta and steak. From the options, I picked the Grilled Atlantic Seafood Platter, which gave me the choice of two or three items from a selection of scallops, shrimp, flounder, and crab cake. I chose the latter three, which all came grilled.

I enjoyed the shrimp and flounder, but the star was the crab cake, resplendently and unapologetically boardwalk style with a generous amount of lump crabmeat. There was also a generous amount of seasoning, but not overdone. The cake itself is a quarter-pound, and, with the other items on my platter, I had enough to take home to enjoy the next day for breakfast folded into an omelet.

The platter comes with two sides, as well as hush puppies. I selected a baked potato and broccoli with hollandaise sauce and enjoyed both very much.

The drink: The Old School nature of Margie & Ray’s and their seafood platters calls for and Old School imbibe to wash down all the deliciousness. Check with the server for any craft or local beers available at the time, otherwise we are going to a good old Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Crabby Bennie, Simple Eats

Breakfast is served all day at Simple Eats, including the Crabby Bennie. Atop a split croissant are poached eggs, crab cakes, avocado, spinach, tomato, and hollandaise sauce. The grilled crab cakes, full of lump crab, some light seasonings, and little else. Home fries come on the side.

Patrick Evans-Hylton | For The Virginian-Pilot

The dish: Crabby Bennie

The restaurant: Simple Eats

The details: Beach chic is perhaps the best way to describe Simple Eats, a cottage along Shore Drive that celebrates its close proximity to the Chesapeake Bay. Weathered wood accents, original beach-themed artwork, and hues in aqua blue and sandy brown make the restaurant an inviting place to dine.

Simple Eats also celebrates the bay with its menu, full of dishes that showcase the water and land in our region; many ingredients come from local farmers and watermen. Service is amazingly friendly.

On the breakfast menu – which is available all day – is the Crabby Bennie. Benedicts are one of my favorite treats; what’s there not to like about poached eggs and rich hollandaise sauce?

The Crabby Bennie includes those, but also delightful crab cakes as well perched atop a cronut split in half. What’s a cronut? It’s a combination croissant and donut, made popular a few years back by New York City pastry chef Dominique Ansel. The combination is light and airy – not as flaky as a traditional croissant and not as dense as traditional donuts.

The dish also includes avocado, spinach and tomato. Home fries come on the side. All of the flavors work perfectly together: runny eggs, decadent hollandaise, creamy avocado, earthy spinit ach, sweet tomato, and savory bread. The piece de resistance, however, is the wonderful grilled crab cakes, full of lump crab, some light seasonings, and little else. They are the perfect addition to the breakfast item, and play very nicely with their other counterparts.

The srink: Simple Eats does a simply awesome job of crafting a number of bloody marys. There is one for each palate.

Crab Cakes, Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro

At Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro the crab cakes are full of lump crab meat with some nice seasoning happening; subtle, but noticeable, with a bit of heat. They are nicely presented with a serving of cajun-spiced fingerling potato hash, topped with a pepper and spinach saute.

Patrick Evans-Hylton | For The Virginian-Pilot

The dish: Crab Cakes

The restaurant: Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro

The details: I’ve been hooked on Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro since it opened in Town Center more than a decade ago. The sleek, city design, with open windows peering out on Fountain Plaza and other comings-and-goings at the new urban development, is classy and comfortable. Service is very personable.

From Executive Chef Mackenzie Hess’ kitchen comes an offering of two large crab cakes nicely presented with a serving of cajun-spiced fingerling potato hash, topped with a pepper and spinach saute. Cajun horseradish aioli comes with the dish, which I opted to have served on the side.

Each crab cake was perfectly formed and full of lump crab meat. There was some nice seasoning happening in the cakes, subtle, but noticeable with a bit of heat. The heat in the crab cakes played well with the spice found in the potato hash and aioli. The cakes had very little filler, and were beautifully browned on the outside. The hash and spinach were wonderful accompaniments.

The drink: With a name like Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro, you can imagine that there are many great selections of vino to choose from. Because the crab cakes have a bit of heat, and with the added elements from the hash, spinach and aioli, I opted for the a glass of dry Hollerer Gruner Veltliner from Austria, which has a hint of spice itself.

Crab Cakes, Surf Rider Marina Shores

Crab cakes at Surf Rider at Marina Shores are full of lump crabmeat and exceptional. The Old School elements of a boardwalk offering marry with a more sophisticated restaurant style that makes each and every forkful a delight. The platter comes with a choice of two vegetables or steamed broccoli; I chose the latter.

Patrick Evans-Hylton

The dish: Crab Cakes

The restaurant: Surf Rider Marina Shores

The details: Surf Rider, with locations across the region, perhaps none have the appeal of the eatery at Marina Shores. This is the kind of kick back and kick-up-your-heels beach bar that begs you to come in during the season and relax, watching the comings-and-goings on Wolfsnare Creek, which leads to the Lynnhaven Inlet and Chesapeake Bay. Service is very friendly.

Offered as a sandwich, a platter, or add on to salads, Surf Rider calls their crab cakes both world famous and award winning. I fully believe them. There is no other way to describe their crab cakes except as exceptional. The Old School elements of a boardwalk offering marry with a more sophisticated restaurant style that makes each and every forkful a delight.

Full of lump crab meat, they are perfectly formed, subtly spiced, and grilled until the most perfect of crusts forms. When the tines of the fork tears into them, they open up revealing their moist, sweet interior. Each bite provides a wonderful dichotomy of textures, too.

The platter comes with a choice of two vegetables or steamed broccoli. Having been a fan of Surf Rider for years, I opted for the broccoli, and enjoyed the large – make that huge – stalk of wonderfully steamed-until-tender stalk, with a rich hollandaise sauce on the side to make a good thing even better.

The drink: The menu says the house favorite is Surf Rider’s Rum Runner. Who am I to disagree? A wonderfully frozen concoction of three different rums and three liqueurs comes together with other tropical ingredients, making it a refreshing imbibe for warm weather.

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